April 18, 2017

Lenin Moreno's victory in Ecuador: Solidarity with the Citizen's Revolution

On April 2nd 2017 the political landscape of Ecuador was shaken as Lenín Moreno was named President-Elect of Ecuador. Moreno garnered 51.16 percent of valid votes while opposition and ex-banker Guillermo Lasso garnered 48.84 percent, with 99.65 percent of votes counted, National Electoral Council President Juan Pablo Pozo said at a press conference. Due to Moreno’s victory, right-wing reactionary groups rioted in the streets. Lasso made fraudulent claims that the election was rigged and asked his supporters to riot in the streets demanding a recount. All this, despite the fact that Organization of American States election observers found "no discrepancies between the observed records and the official data" from the National Electoral Council.

"I cannot accept these results because they do not reflect the will of the people," Lasso, a former banker, said. "There is fraud, blatant fraud, in the counting process." said Lasso.

On April 6th, an official response to Lasso’s claims was received by Alianza Pais, the left-wing political movement led by Rafael Correa, “We request that this review be carried out immediately — in a public place, with all the national and international media, with delegates of the two movements — to demonstrate that they lied to our country, defrauded the public faith, generated violence and tried to sow chaos in our beloved Ecuador,” Alianza Pais said in a statement. “May this exercise reinforce Ecuadorean democracy and forever isolate the immoral (ones) and liars.”

The Citizens’ Revolution, named by supporters of ex-president Rafael Correa after the series of mass demonstrations that saw seven presidents ousted from office, will be continued under Moreno. In the ten years since the movement began under President Rafael Correa, Ecuador has seen a new constitution drafted and ratified by popular referendum, 1.7 million Ecuadorians lifted out of poverty, and Ecuadorians with disabilities receive monthly financial assistance. For Moreno’s work with people with disabilities, both nationally and internationally as Special Envoy on Disability and Accessibility to the United Nations, he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2012.

For now, it looks like Lasso's attempts at destabilization have been thwarted. This is while rightwing forces next door in Venezuela are currently promoting street violence in an effort to strengthen US imperialism's aim of rolling back sovereignty in the region.

"I will be the president of all Ecuadorians. We will continue...with the
Citizens’ Revolution," Moreno said the day after his victory.

"I will be the president of all Ecuadorians. We will continue...with the Citizens’ Revolution," Moreno said the day after his victory.

As of April 14th, the partial recount has begun with 296,340 of 1.2 million votes recounted, about 12% of total votes during the election. So far, this has put Moreno up 100 votes and Lasso down 143, with more results to be coming over the next several weeks. "We are going to open the polls ... to show the country the truth. We have nothing to hide," said Juan Pablo Pozo, head of the electoral council. Moreno is to be inaugurated as President of Ecuador on May 24th.

Rebel Youth stands in solidarity with the Ecuadorian people and their fight for democracy, higher living standards, and socialism. Lenín Moreno has shown himself to be a beacon of hope and courage against the rightwing forces who seek to dismantle the social gains brought by the Citizens’ Revolution.